A small advertisement appears on my Instagram feed. When I read the words “Cold Water Classic”, I was immediately intrigued. Not only was one of my favorite surfers in all of Colorado hosting the event but I also hadn’t been up to Salida all winter.

But if I was going to make it I had to get my ass up and out there. As a part of supporting my dream of becoming a surf photographer/content creator, I moonlight a variety of different odd jobs. Pizza delivery driver, bouncer at bars, occasional event worker, anything else I need to do to keep the dream alive. I had maybe a two hour window to actually shoot the event before running back to Denver for my shift that night, but what’s the point of life if you’re constantly worried about making it on time to your job but not chasing your dreams?

When I finally arrived in Salida, it was blustery. The wind chill was maybe 30/25 degrees Fahrenheit and I thought:

“There’s no way anyone is surfing this. I’ve come for naught.”

But if there’s one thing I’ve come to learn about Ann-Drew, it’s that their obsession with the river runs deep. Even talking with them in between sets, lips turning a pale shade of violet, hands shaking from a sharp gust of frigid wind, their cerulean eyes are a lit with a passionate fire I don’t see very often. I was obviously the fool this day by thinking anything would keep Ann-Drew out of the water.

Give them a follow @coloradocobbler